Real
by Princess Joyce
Summary: A different kind of Modern Day POTO. There is a slight mix of both movie and musical lore. Please keep in mind that this is just a story. I am not nor do I know anyone who is like this Christine. I simply wrote her the way my muse instructed. If you enjoy
1. Chapter 1

Title: Real ¼?

Author: Princess Joyce

Rating: T (Not sure if it warrants a T, but thought I'd be safe)

Summary: A different kind of Modern Day POTO. There is a slight mix of both movie and musical lore. Please keep in mind that this is just a story. I am not nor do I know anyone who is like this Christine. I simply wrote her the way my muse instructed. If you enjoy this, please let me know. If not… well, I know it's different and a bit far-fetched, so you don't have to point that out to me. 

Real 

They say that when you fall in love, when you meet 'the one', you just know. And if you don't know, then you're not in love. A pretty concept that I had clung to for all of my childhood but had had to let go of as I reached adulthood.

My name is Christine and for the first sixteen years of my life, I was a princess awaiting my prince. From the day I was born my mother and father told me stories. And I believed each and every one of them. Life was wonderful, spending hours with mother spinning new tales, and changing the endings to old ones.

Father died when I was still very young, and it seemed that my mother fell even deeper into her fantasies. I happily went along with her. Then one day she met a lawyer named Charles, and everything changed. She decided that spending time in fantasyland was something she would let me do on my own from then on, and married the lawyer.

My mother still encouraged me to dream and play pretend, but I could tell that my stepfather disapproved. They had one really loud argument about it, and did not speak to each other for a week. Then out of the blue, he apologized to me. He explained that he had not had a very good childhood himself, but that was no reason he for him to tamper with mine.

"Stay a kid as long as you can, Princess," He'd said, ruffling my hair.

That night, he read me a bedtime story for the first time. Mom watched at the door with happy tears in her eyes. I think that was the first time it occurred to me that Charles was my father now and that I loved him.

Things got good again, and then I had to go to school. My head was always in the clouds. In my early school years I preferred to have make believe conversations with fairies and goblins than to involve myself in the inane chatter of my peers. I was quiet in school. Most people believed I was either shy or a snob, but they were wrong. I was not shy, and I did not believe myself to be better than anyone else. I just didn't care. Oh, maybe I am a snob. Was it so wrong to spend recess by myself staying clean and daydreaming about castles and dragons?

As I got older and the fantasies in my mind started to fade, I latched onto books. What a marvelous idea! It's like a fantasy you do not have to do any work to create. I read like a maniac, so most people assumed I was super smart. This was not the case. I barely made it through junior high with a 'C' average.

Matriculating into high school was intimidating at first. It seemed there was so much work to do that reading and day dreaming became luxuries I had to save for after-school hours. There were so many students, it was hard getting used to not recognizing the faces around me.

My mother died my sophomore year. The woman who had nurtured my dreams and fantasies with bedtime stories and lullabies left me forever. I no longer had a protector from the world, and it was a wicked shock to realize just how immature I really was.

"It's time you grew up, Christine. Join in the world around you," my stepfather's stern voice reduced me to a sobbing mess the night after the funeral.

He gathered me in his arms, stroking my long dark curls and whispering softly.

"I know it's not as wonderful as your fantasies Princess, but if you try you might find it's really not so bad," he murmured, soothingly.

"I don't know how."

My cousin Meg is a year younger than me, but is much more knowledgeable about the ways of the world than I am. My father had Meg and her mother, my Aunt Anita, move in with us. Aunt Anita was recently divorced, and struggling to get by, so the new living arrangements would benefit us all.

If my mother had still been alive, I would have politely ignored Meg, hiding in one of the many secluded spots I knew of in our big old house. But my mother was not alive, and I knew that my survival in the scary world that contained no goblins or wizards depended on what I could learn from her.

At first Meg did not seem very interested in me, especially when she saw my fairy princess bedroom.

"It's not right for a sixteen year old to play dress-up!" she had said, sneering at my favorite blue princess gown.

"I know Meg. I'm so behind. It feels like my body grew up without me and I need help catching up," I pleaded with her.

She gave me an incredulous look, so I decided to change tactics.

"I want to be like you! Your clothes are always perfect, and your hair is so pretty. You have so many friends because everybody loves you. I know I'll never be exactly like you, but couldn't you teach me how to make my life a little better," I begged, forcing a few tears from my eyes.

Inside I was retching at my groveling. In truth, I liked the way I looked, and I hated being around a lot of people. However, I knew that if I was going to 'make it' in the world, these were things I needed to change.

Sufficiently flattered, Meg began to look at me like I was a challenge instead of a freak.

"Fine, I'll help you. But you have to swear to do everything I say, and not to question me," she demanded.

I agreed, feeling a piece of my heart break away as I realized it was really going to happen.

And so began my voluntary slavery to the evil witch-queen, Meg.

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My mother had conveniently died the week before Spring Break, so Meg had a whole week to change my image before we had to go back to school.

First she cut my hair. I almost screamed at the sound of the blades severing the silky locks from my head. But I endured it, just as Rapunzel had endured her enslaver shearing off her hair.

When it was over, and Meg convinced me to open my eyes I was startled to see that it was not as bad as I had thought it would be. My hair had grown past my waist, as I had never had it cut before. Now, it barely brushed my shoulders. It made me look older, and that was what I needed. What I wanted didn't matter anymore.

Next we went shopping for more 'stylish' clothes. Meg rejected every item I picked out, and soon banished me to the dressing room where I was only allowed to try on what she choose. Aunt Anita and Meg would discuss each outfit critically, not listening to any of my opinions. Finally, I gave up. Although I did try to protest the pants. I had never worn pants. My mother never made me. I preferred dresses and skirts, clothes that were feminine. I mean, have you ever seen a fairy princess in pants?

My arguments seemed to fall on deaf ears, but my Aunt Anita winked at me as she added a pair of pink denim pants with purple fairies stitched on them to the stack of clothes they'd chosen for me. Meg wrinkled her nose, but chose to remain silent at a stern look from her mother.

Experimenting with make-up was more fun than I had ever thought it would be. Even Meg seemed to be enjoying herself as she showed me how to apply each cosmetic. And of course jewelry was fun too.

All day long I played the obedient cousin and allowed Meg to do as she pleased with my image all the while wearing a bland smile on my face. At night, I cried. I grieved for my mother, as was natural, but I also grieved for my childish fantasy world I was being forced to leave behind.

It was my decision to box up all my books and haul them to the attic. Meg helped, and then decided we should re-do my room as well.

Three days later my room had been transformed into a nightmare. It was so modern! Gone were the pinks and purples and gauzy draping material across a canopied daybed. I now had a queen-sized bed that was very low to the ground. The color scheme of the room was bright blue and green. I even had a lava lamp.

I thanked Meg and Aunt Anita for helping me, much to the approval of my stepfather. However, once I was alone in the modern atrocity. I cried.

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"You're still missing one thing," Meg told me slyly over breakfast one morning.

"What's that?" I asked between bites of corn flakes.

"A boyfriend."

I choked and Meg had to pound on my back.

"Are you okay?" she asked handing me a glass of water.

I nodded and sipped at the water trying to get my coughing under control.

It was odd seeing her look at me with concern. I guess she'd started to get attached to me these past few days.

"Good. Where was I? Oh yeah. Now you need a boyfriend," she declared.

I cringed and gave she me a sharp look.

"You are sixteen, Christine! It's time you had a boyfriend. I just turned fifteen and I've already had three," she bragged.

She set me up with a boy from school named Richard. He was in my year, but I'd never seen him before. This wasn't too unusual as the school was so large. Plus, he was in all advanced classes.

Richard was a very good-looking boy, who had just broken up with another girl. Apparently she had been very controlling and he preferred to be in charge. That was fine with me as most of the time I had no idea what I wanted. It was nice to have the decision taken out of my hands.

For our first date he took me to the movies. It was nice, and I enjoyed myself. After the movie, we went to a restaurant and talked a lot. He listened as I told him about my mother, and hugged me when I teared up while explaining about her death.

His arms were strong, and I felt safe wrapped in them. He seemed to enjoy it to. Neither one of us wanted to pull away. Then suddenly, he was kissing me.

I was disappointed. Not that it was a bad kiss. No, it was very nice. It made my stomach flip-flop in a good way, and I really liked it. But it was my first kiss, and deep down I was expecting fireworks. I wanted to see the magic that was first love.

When the kiss ended, I looked at him with tears in my eyes.

Of all the things I had let go of since my mother died, this was the hardest. Mom was wrong about so much. But I had hoped that she would have been right about this at least.

I kissed him again to distract him from the disappointment in my eyes. Again, it was nice. And I decided that that would have to be good enough for me.

I'm sorry Mom.

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I discovered acting my junior year of high school. Richard's best friend Joey was really into drama and one day as school was letting out he asked me to help him rehearse a scene for an upcoming audition.

Our school was putting on Romeo and Juliet, and Joey was determined to be Romeo. Mom and I used to act out fairy tales when I was little, and I felt a pang at the memory as we began.

The auditorium was nearly empty, and the few people that were there were not paying attention to us. Except for Richard who kept glaring at us and looking pointedly at his watch.

For the first time in a year, I let myself go. I sank into the fantasy of being Juliet Capulet and found myself absorbed by the part. It was almost like seeing an old friend I had not heard from in years.

After the scene Richard and few other people who had gathered in the no longer empty auditorium clapped and whistled. I blushed, but took a deep bow feeling elated.

"That was incredible, Chrissy!" Richard said kissing my cheek as he, Joey and I made our way out of the room.

"He's right. You have real talent Christine. You should audition," Joey said, seriously.

I smiled but shook my head.

"I don't really know anything about acting. I'd like to learn a little more before auditioning for a play."

"Well, I don't think you need it, but there will be another production in the spring. Maybe you can try out for that one," he suggested.

"I'll think about it," I promised feeling giddy.

It is kind of funny when you think about it. The only time I truly felt like myself was when I was acting, pretending to be someone else.

I looked down at the books in my arms and stopped walking.

"I must have left my Geometry book in the Auditorium. I'll catch up with you later," I said giving Richard a peck on the check and smiling at Joey.

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The Auditorium was dark now and I shivered as I made my way up the aisle to where I had placed my books while I was rehearsing with Joey.

The chair I had set them on was empty. Bewildered, I looked around for a moment squinting in the dark, when I tripped over something and fell. I braced myself to hit the hard floor, but instead I ended up in a soft, warm lap.

Arms that were much stronger than Richard's helped me right myself, and I heard a deep masculine chuckle.

"I'm sorry. I didn't see you there. In fact, I still can't see you there," I said to the shadowy figure as it stood up to it's full height.

"It's alright. Most people don't see me. They don't bother," he responded, cryptically.

"That's probably because you're in the dark. Most people can't see in the dark you know?" I pointed out, intrigued.

He laughed out loud then, and I smiled liking the way his voice seemed to caress me.

The whole meeting was so surreal. Any normal girl would have quickly left, not wanting to remain in a dark auditorium with a mysterious man. But I was not normal. In fact, spending an entire year pretending to be normal had been boring and I felt my heart quicken at the thought of an adventure.

"And yet here you are, stumbling in the dark," he countered, and though I knew it was too dark for him to see anything I got the impression that his gaze was traveling up and down my body.

"I left my Geometry book," I said, lamely.

He laughed again.

"No you didn't."

"What? Of course I did." Okay, this was getting weird.

"No, I took it from your stack of books while you where acting," he said, stringing out the last word.

"Why would you do that?" I asked, dumbfounded.

"I wanted to meet you. It was either take one of your books, or your purse. I didn't want you to think that I was a thief."

I felt him put a hand on my shoulder and the other on my opposite side. At first I stiffened, wondering if it had been a foolish idea to stay and speak to this guy. But he was only moving me over to one of the seats. I sat down and heard him sit in the seat next to me. Part of me wished that someone would turn on the lights, but another part relished the thrill of being in the dark with a mysterious stranger.

"Why would you want to meet me? I'm no one special," I asked, truly confused.

He sighed.

"I'm sorry that you think that. The truth is, I've sort of been watching you since you came to school here," he admitted sheepishly.

I should have been frightened upon learning that I had a stalker, but I wasn't. I sensed no hostility or ill-will from him at all. I trusted my senses.

"At first you were so happy. Though, you didn't seem to have any friends. You looked content by yourself, always reading, or just staring off into space. Or singing…" he trailed off and I knew he was smiling.

"Singing?" I asked, blushing, as I knew exactly what he was talking about.

"Yes, singing. That is what drew me to you in the first place. I was hiding in the library when I saw you for the first time. You settled into the back corner. And once you looked around to be sure no one was watching, you started singing. You have such a lovely voice; I couldn't help but return everyday to hear you sing. It was like my own private concert."

I couldn't say anything. I was torn between embarrassment and pleasure at his praise.

Suddenly, his hand was on my cheek.

"And then you stopped. You stopped singing, stopped reading, and stopped smiling…"he trailed off and moved his hands to my hair.

It had grown a lot since Meg had cut it the year before, but I hadn't let her do it again.

"And you cut off your beautiful hair. It was so long. It made you look classic. Like a princess in a fairytale."

That's what I'd always thought!

"What happened?" he asked, his voice filled with concern.

His hand moved away from me and I sighed at the loss.

"My mother died. She always… well she was the only one who accepted me as I was. But I knew that if I was going to 'make it' I needed to change. So I did." I confessed.

"I'm sorry to hear about your mother. But what do you mean by 'make it'?"

I blinked, surprised by the question.

"Well, I enjoyed being by myself a lot, but I didn't want to be alone completely. I'm not sure if I'm saying that right…" I tried to think of better words.

"You like to be alone, but not lonely." He stated.

I nodded.

A comfortable silence passed between us.

"Why did you just want to meet me now? You must have been watching me for more than two years," I wondered aloud.

"I heard what you said about not wanting to audition for a play yet. I want to teach you what you need to know to feel more comfortable. This spring the school is putting on 'Phantom of the Opera'. I think you would make a perfect Christine Daae. Your name is already on the script," he said.

"The lead? You want me to audition for the lead?" I asked in disbelief.

"Yes."

"But, auditions are in January! That only gives us few months," I pointed out.

"Plenty of time. You are a natural."

I do not know if it was his unwavering confidence or the fact that everything seemed so surreal in the darkness, but suddenly I felt like I could do this. In fact, I really wanted to.

He allowed me to think things over in silence for a few minutes.

"Who are you?" I asked finally.

"My name is Erik. I'm a senior, but I am only here for half a day. I take classes at a community college in the mornings."

"Erik? Like in the musical? Wait, are you going to audition for the Phantom?"

He laughed again.

"Erik and Christine. It is perfect, don't you think?"

I smiled despite myself.

"Like something out of a book," I said.

"Chrissy? Are you in here?" Richard called from the door.

"I'm here," I called, and suddenly the lights came on.

I blinked to clear my blurred vision and turned to Erik, only to find the seat next to me empty.

"What is taking so long?"

I held up my geometry book.

"I had trouble finding it," I said, not wanting to share my little adventure with him.

He laughed and shook his head at me.

"Next time try turning on the light. That way, you won't have to look so hard."

End Chapter 1


	2. Chapter 2

Title: Real 2/4?

Author: Princess Joyce

Rating: T (This part is definitely a T as it mentions child and wife abuse)

Summary: Yes, I'm back. I am trying to update all of my stories, but finding the time to do so is very hard. I will do my best to get this thing finished quickly. I've already written the ending so you can be assured that it will be finished eventually.

Real-2

Later that evening I found myself at Richard's house. He and Joey played video games while I studied for my geometry test.

After thoroughly going over my notes and doing my best to ignore the sounds of shouts and blips from the living room, I started to pack my things back in my bag. I should be at home studying. Richard had insisted I come to his house to study so that we could spend more times together. Honestly, if this is how he 'spends time' with his girlfriend, maybe I should rethink our relationship.

I wondered if Erik had a girlfriend.

As if that thought summoned it, I suddenly felt an extra folder in my bag. I pulled it out and gazed thoughtfully at the white mask and rose that decorated the front.

My heart began beating a little faster as I slowly opened it. Inside was the complete script for 'Phantom of the Opera'. Christine's lines had been highlighted, and little notes and tips had been scrawled in the margins.

An envelope bearing my name was stuck in the middle. I looked over my shoulder at the guys, but they were so absorbed in their game they had no clue what I was up to.

I quickly opened the envelope and pulled out a small letter.

_Christine,_

_I hope you have decided to take me up on my offer. I could tutor you on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays after school if you'd like. Regardless, I do hope that you will audition in January. If you accept, meet me in front of the auditorium this Monday at 3pm. I hope to see you there._

_-Erik_

I glanced back and forth between the letter, and the back of Richard's head.

I was being silly. Erik was offering to tutor me, not date me! I debated a good twenty minutes about whether or not I should tell Richard. What if he was jealous?

"Take that alien scum!" He screamed from the other room.

I frowned and went to speak with him. Easier said than done.

"Richard?"

"Hmm? NO! Damn it!" He yelled at the TV.

"I just wanted to tell you that I'm going to audition for the lead in the Spring Musical."

"That's nice," he said absently, jerking the controls to the right as if that would help Super Mario jump farther.

"That's great, Christine! If you can sing as good as you act I'm sure you'll have no problem," Joey told me happily.

"Thanks Joey." I gave him a smile.

"Who's gonna sing?" Richard asked, absently.

Joey smacked him on the back of the head and took the game controls away from him.

"HEY! What-?"

"Your girlfriend is trying to talk to you!" Joey reprimanded with a laugh.

Richard looked up at me, clearly annoyed.

"What?"

I sighed and shook my head.

"I was just letting you know, that I will be practicing with an acting/singing coach after school on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays through January to prepare for the Spring Musical auditions." I said firmly.

He arched an eyebrow.

"I thought you wanted to learn more about acting before attempting something like that."

"Yes, that's why I got a coach," I said slowly.

"Oh, what's her name?"

"HIS name is Erik."

"A guy? You want to spend all this time with a guy and you thought I'd be okay with it?" He demanded standing up.

"Rich, it's just Erik…" Joey said making a slashing motion over the left side of his face.

Richard looked confused for a moment, then his eyes cleared.

"Oh, yeah. The guy with the…" he mimicked the slashing motion again.

I admit I was curious. But not enough to ask them.

"Well, whatever. You just let me know if that freak gives you any trouble." And with that, the video game resumed.

Well, at least when Erik stole me from him, I could say that I didn't go behind his back!

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I had butterflies in my stomach as I walked thorough the school to meet Erik on Monday at three o'clock. What would he look like? How would I know it was him?

I needn't have worried. His tall thin form was pretty visible, but it was the gleaming white mask that covered half his face that was most noticeable. Students were giving him odd looks and a wide berth, but he didn't seem to notice. When his yellow-brown eyes met mine, I stopped noticing all of the other students too.

"Already in character?" I asked, giving him my brightest smile.

Instead of the smile I expected in return, he gave me a worried frown and absently touched the mask.

"It looks dashing," I said, hoping to undo any damage from my last comment.

"I always wear it. It has nothing to do with the character," he mumbled, blushing slightly and looking at the floor.

Weird? Sure, but keep in mind that I was the girl who had refused to wear pants until I was sixteen. From the way Richard and Joey acted the other night I was expecting some sort of deformity or scar on his face, I'm not a complete idiot. If he wanted to hide it behind a mask, who was I to say anything?

He took a deep breath and looked straight at me, his face settling into a blank expression.

"Go ahead. Ask the question I know you're dying to," he said sounding resigned.

I just gave him another bright smile as I asked, "So, where are we going to do this?"

He blinked, the question obviously caught him off-guard.

"Mrs. Mabry has given us permission to use her music room," He said gesturing to a closed door down the hall.

As we walked, he kept shooting me odd glances out of the corner of his eye. I did my best to pretend I didn't notice. The door was locked when I tried to open it, and I turned to him with a frown.

He gave me a mischievous smile, then reached forward and pulled out a key from behind my ear.

I couldn't help but giggle like an amused child.

Erik smirked, unlocked the door, and held it open so that I could enter first. Just this morning Richard had unthinkingly let the front door to the school shut in my face as he hurried to catch up with Joey. A girl could get used to this…

He flipped on the lights, shut and locked the door and headed over to the piano.

I looked nervously at the locked door, but he was too involved with setting up his music sheets to notice my reaction.

When he had everything arranged the way he wanted, he waved me over to stand beside the piano.

"We'll start with a 'C' scale to warm up," he said, his long fingers dancing across the piano keys.

"Um, huh?" I asked, intelligently.

He gave me sharp look and tilted his head to the side.

"'C' scale" he said again, holding down one of the keys so that the note resonated strongly throughout the room.

I shifted on my feet nervously.

"I don't… I'm not sure what you want me to do," I said, cringing a little at the look he gave me.

"You mean to tell me that you have never had a music lesson?" He asked, incredulously.

I blushed and looked down at the floor.

"I had music class in elementary school, but we just sang. No one has every told me anything about scales," I said quietly.

Never in my life had I felt so inadequate.

"Look, you obviously thought I had more experience. If you don't want to do this anymore, it's okay. I understand…" I said, blinking furiously in an effort to hold back tears.

I felt his fingers lifting my chin before I even heard him move.

"Christine, I did not mean to upset you. You surprised me, that's all."

His voice was so soothing. I looked up at him, as he wiped a tear from my cheek.

"You sing so magnificently that it seems impossible that you would have not had any formal training at all," he explained, and I felt silly for getting so upset.

"D-do you think you can teach me?" I asked, hesitantly.

"I think you already know more than you think you do. But yes, I can teach you," he said, picking up a box of Kleenexes and handing it to me.

After a quick break to regain my composure, we began.

Learning music was so easy and so much fun, I wondered how I had gone so long without knowing it. He taught me the basics of composition, and had me singing scales like a pro within an hour.

The hours flew by and soon Charles was calling my cell phone to let me know he was waiting on me in the parking lot. After assuring him I would be out in a moment, I looked at Erik and realized we were both breathing hard.

"I never realized how exhausting music can be. I almost feel like I've spent a few hours at the gym," I said, wiping a bit of sweat from my forehead.

He nodded, running a hand through his now-wet hair.

"If you don't feel like this after a practice session, then you aren't practicing hard enough."

I smiled at him, and resisted the urge to tell him he should take off his mask to cool down.

"You did very well. If you continue to work as hard as you did today, you will have no problem at the auditions in a few months."

He gave me a few sheets of music to look over before we met again.

"Next time we will try a bit of sight reading, so be sure to study your scales and note value sheets."

I nodded and gathered up my things to go.

"So, I'll see you Wednesday at three?" I asked as he stood from the piano bench and stretched.

He nodded.

"Until then, Christine."

Acting on impulse, I stepped forward and gave him a quick hug before dashing out of the room.

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"You know the part of Christine calls for some ballet dancing as well," Erik said one evening after practice a few weeks later.

I looked up at him with a teasing grin on my face.

"Are you going to teach me ballet as well?"

He grimaced.

"No. It's not really my forte," he said dryly as he stood up from the piano bench.

"Oh, I don't know. You might look good in tights," I continued to tease him, pleased to see the blush that spread across half of his face.

"I've already enlisted Meg's help with the ballet," I told him, picking up my bag.

Meg's only hobby, other than boys, was ballet. She'd lived and breathed it almost before she could walk. Aunt Anita had been a professional ballerina when she was younger, and it looked as if Meg would follow in her footsteps.

"The evil witch queen Meg?" He asked, amused.

I laughed and nodded.

I had told him all about Meg a couple of weeks ago. Erik always seemed so curious about my life, but was never very forth coming with his own. At first I was a little embarrassed about how child-like and protected I used to be. But Erik never teased me about it. He seemed to understand me better than anyone ever had before. He also liked the nicknames I gave people.

He opened the door for me.

"Hey Chrissy. Your dad asked me if I could pick you up today. He had to work late," Richard called as he stepped forward to meet us.

"Oh. Um, Richard, this Erik," I introduced.

Richard looked uncomfortable while Erik looked… angry? His expression was as blank as ever, but I had gotten to know him well enough that I recognized the slight tightening around his eyes.

"We've met," Erik said.

I shivered at the ice in his tone.

"Okay, I'll see you Monday Erik," I said, giving him a quick hug as I always did after practice.

However, this was the first time that he actually hugged me back.

Richard ranted and raved about it the whole way to my house. I remained silent as I thought about Erik and why he would have reacted to Richard that way.

He pulled the car up in front of my house and turned off the engine.

"Well? Aren't you going to say anything?" He demanded.

I looked at him warily.

"What did you do to him?" I asked finally.

Richard's eyes narrowed angrily, and he opened and shut his mouth a few times before turning away and slumping in his seat.

"I was a dumb kid then Chrissy, I didn't… It was stupid and mean, and I'm not proud of it…"

I felt a hard knot form in my stomach and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Tell me," I said, my voice wavered slightly.

"We went to the same elementary school. He was… is different. The guys I hung out with liked to give him a hard time. He was an easy target, and I did my fair share of messing with him so that the others would think I was cool. Even back then he wore that mask… I pulled it off of him one day at school on a dare. The kids around all screamed and called him horrible names. His face is messed up pretty bad. But I'll never forget the way he looked at me. Like I'd just ruined his life."

I couldn't stop the tears as I thought about poor Erik and how horrible that must have been for him.

"I apologized, but the damage had been done. School ended for the year a few weeks later, and we went to Junior High. I didn't have any classes with him. A couple years after that I heard he took some kind of test and he got placed in the year ahead of me. I hadn't even thought of him until you told me he would be coaching you."

I felt torn. I was angry at Richard for what he had done to Erik, but at the same time, it was obvious that my boyfriend was truly remorseful about it. Like Richard had said, he was just a dumb kid then. Kids could be very cruel, and rarely understood the kind of damage they could do.

Richard looked at me like he expected me to start yelling any minute.

I smiled and leaned forward to give him a kiss.

"I know you are sorry for what you did, and I'm not going to hold it against you," I told him.

He was so relived, he kissed me and laughed.

I pulled back and looked at him seriously.

"I do hope you'll understand when I ask you to not pick me up from practice anymore though. Erik is doing me a huge favor, and I don't want to do anything to bring up painful memories for him."

Richard was so glad I didn't hate him, that he happily agreed.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

The weeks flew by after that. With school, rehearsals with Erik, and most recently ballet lessons with Meg every weekend, I barely had time to sleep.

A week before Christmas break, Mrs. Mabry informed us that we had to cut back our time in the music room.

"I'm sorry, but other students would like to practice too. I can't show any bias," she told us sternly one Friday afternoon before leaving us to what would be our last lesson in her music room.

I was devastated, but Erik took it all in stride.

"It's okay, Christine. We can always go to my house and practice. I have a music studio in my basement," he said, shrugging off my concern.

"Your house? Um, not to sound ungrateful, but that's not a good idea."

"Why not? I assure you that I have quality equipment at home," he insisted.

I sighed.

"My step-father isn't going to be happy about me being alone with you in a strange place."

"My house is a strange place?" He demanded and I rolled my eyes.

"I meant a place I'm not familiar with."

He stared at me in silence for a few minutes.

"What?" I demanded.

He blushed. He actually blushed.

"It's just… My mother," he admitted quietly.

"What about her?"

He sighed, his gaze on the floor.

"She wants to meet you."

Now it was my turn to look confused.

"Why?" I asked, growing curious.

Erik avoided looking me in the eye.

"I told her about you… and I don't know, she wants you to eat dinner with us."

I thought that over for a moment.

"Well, do you think Charles could come to? I mean, if he met your mom and saw your house he'd probably be more comfortable about letting me practice there."

He gave me a hard look, then nodded.

"I don't see how that would be a problem. If it's just you and your step-dad. My mom… we don't get a lot of visitors," he said, uncomfortably.

"Why not?" I asked.

His fingers ran unconsciously over the mask on his face. It's funny, I tend to forget it's there. I mean, it's obvious that it's there, but it just seems like such a part of him that I don't give it that much thought anymore.

Erik sat on the piano bench and patted the spot next to him. I sat down and looked at him expectantly.

"You have never asked me about this," he said quietly.

I kept my face as neutral as possibly, though my heart sped up a little at the thought that he might actually confide in me.

"I just figured that you would tell me when you wanted to. I don't need to know all of your secrets to be your friend, Erik," I said softly.

I could have sworn I saw a few tears glistening in his eyes before he pulled me into a tight hug.

"You are a wonderful friend, Christine," he murmured into my hair.

My shock over this display of affection passed quickly and I rubbed his back comfortingly.

He sat back, and his eyes were dry.

Erik was quiet for so long, I began to think he wasn't going to tell me anything. Then he spoke.

"Unlike the Phantom, I was not born with a facial deformity. However I was so young when 'it' happened, I might as well have been."

His eyes stared unseeingly at the wall, and I remained quiet through his long pauses not wanting him to change his mind about telling me anything.

"My mom said I was three. I don't remember much. My father was an alcoholic with a bad temper. He wasn't… mentally stable. One night he came home and didn't like the way my mom was looking at him. He knocked her out, grabbed a knife and cut out her eyes."

I gasped and put a hand to my mouth. Even though he wasn't looking at me, his hand slid over and grabbed hold of mine.

"A neighbor heard me screaming and came over with a rifle. My father had grabbed me, and attempted to cut my eyes out too, but I wouldn't hold still. He kept missing and trying again. They said he got in seven good slashes with the knife before he was shot. I had several surgeries over the years, but the damage was too severe. Skin grafts wouldn't take. My face is rather hideous looking. My mom came out looking a lot better. Though she's completely blind. Her glasses cover the scars…"

"Oh, Erik," I sobbed, throwing myself in his arms.

He held me while I cried, and sang soothingly to calm me down.

"I don't like upsetting you, Christine. I just need you to know this ahead of time so there are no nasty surprises when you come over," he said after I had stopped crying.

I looked up at him and lifted a hand to caress the unmasked side of his face.

He closed his eyes as if savoring the contact.

I jumped when his hand caught my wrist and pulled my hand to the edge of his mask.

His eyes opened and looked into mine guardedly.

I swallowed.

"Are you sure?" I asked, shakily.

"If you are," he said, challenging me.

Slowly, carefully, I pulled off his mask and exposed his scarred face to my eyes for the first time.

It looked like a drunken man had tried to cut out his eye and kept missing. It was not a pleasant sight. But it wasn't horrifying. I thought of the 'Phantom' from the stage show that I had seen with my mom years ago. He did not look like that. He had deep gouges around his eye and down his cheek. The skin was discolored, and even appeared to be open in some places, but I did not feel the need to run away screaming.

Erik seemed to be waiting for something as he sat there with his hands at his sides and his eyes tightly shut.

"Does it hurt?" I asked.

His eyes opened, and he seemed surprised that I was looking at him so peacefully.

"No," he whispered.

I tentatively lifted my hand to brush my fingers lightly across the scarred skin. He shuddered at my touch, but brought my hand back to his face when I moved it away.

My fingers traced the scars, and I found myself wishing that I could heal this wound that ran so much deeper than it looked. I was startled to feel wetness on my fingers and looked up at his eyes to see he was crying.

I got up and moved to stand in front of him between his legs. His arms slid around my waist, and he buried his scarred face in my neck and cried.

I cried too as I held him. I was so thankful that he was allowing me to help him let go of some of his pain. I don't know how long we stayed like that, but soon my legs became too week to hold myself up, and he pulled me unresisting into his lap.

Charles called, and I realized that we had used up the whole lesson time without singing one note.

"So you'll come to dinner tomorrow night?" He asked as I stood up from his lap.

"Yes, I'll come even if Charles won't," I promised.

Something had happened to us tonight. I felt closer to Erik than I ever had to anyone. Even my own mother.

After securing his mask back onto his face, he walked me to the front of the school where Charles was waiting.

I was proud of my step dad. His kept his eyes on Erik's as I introduced them. I explained the music room situation to him, and Erik proceeded to officially invite both of us to dinner the next night.

Charles looked at me and I gave him my most hopeful expression.

"That sounds nice, Erik. What time would you like us to arrive?"

End Part 2

A/N: I don't know if there will be one more part or two, but it will get finished.

-PJ


	3. Chapter 3

Title: Real 3/3

Author: Princess Joyce

Rating: T

A/N: Okay, this is it. I hope you enjoy it…

Real-3 

"And you promise not to stare at his mask?" I asked my stepfather anxiously as we drove to Erik's house the following night.

Charles sighed, and gave me a perturbed look.

"Christine, I'm a lawyer. I deal with unusual people every day. I am not going to be rude or embarrass you."

I didn't say anything, just twisted my hands nervously in my lap.

"I listened when you told me their story. It's very sad, and I'm glad that you have made friends with him. But I have to admit, Princess, you were no where near this nervous the first time I met Richard," he said, arching an eyebrow at me.

I blushed and looked out my window.

"Erik's different. He's… just different," I muttered.

Luckily he dropped it.

We arrived right on time, and I was slightly relieved to see that Erik was as nervous as I was. Of course he didn't look nervous, but his hand was shaking slightly when I gave it a squeeze.

Erik's house was nice. It wasn't as large as mine was, but then he didn't have four people living it like I did.

He led us through a short entryway to a living room where his mother was seated on a sofa. Erik introduced us, and excused himself to check on dinner.

His mother, who insisted we call her Nancy, was delighted that we had come. It seemed Erik was not exaggerating when he said they didn't get many visitors. But Charles was very polite, and made all the appropriate responses as Nancy chattered away about whatever popped into her head.

Not only was Erik very musically inclined; he was also a superb cook. We had a nice dinner, with Nancy doing most of the talking. Erik interrupted her when we had finished eating.

"Mom. It's getting late, and I want to show them the studio before they have to leave."

He led us down a staircase to find a fully furnished basement. There were all kinds of sound equipment, instruments, microphones, speakers, etc.

Erik gave us a brief tour explaining a few of the things we would be using.

I turned to look at Charles hopefully.

He looked around and nodded as if he was suitably impressed.

"You've been practicing together all these weeks, but I've never heard you sing. Would you sing something for me Christine?"

I looked at Erik who gestured for me to follow him to the piano. After a quick warm-up, he had me sing the aria, 'Think of Me' from the musical. The acoustics and sound quality of the room were incredible, and my voice sounded better than I had ever heard it sound.

Charles applauded enthusiastically when I had finished. He even wiped away a tear!

"That was wonderful, Christine! I had no idea you were so talented."

I ducked my head and blushed, but turned to look at Erik for approval as I did after every time I sang.

"_Bravissimo…_" He sang to me softly.

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Christmas break came and went in a flourish. Erik and I found much more time to practice together with school intruding. Richard was not happy that I was spending so much time with Erik. I tried to explain how important getting the part of Christine was for me, but he couldn't understand.

Erik could sense the added stress that Richard was causing me, and I soon found myself telling him of my frustrations with my boyfriend even though I had not wanted to burden him with it. Erik seemed a bit perturbed at first. He didn't like Richard, and I understood why. But then he came up with a solution.

"Richard's friend Joseph Wilcox is auditioning for Raul, is he not?" He asked me after we'd finished up our latest practice.

"Um, yes I think so," I said. Honestly I hadn't paid that much attention to Joey lately.

"And your cousin is auditioning for the part of Meg Giry?"

I nodded. That I knew for certain as Meg would not shut up about it.

"Why don't you ask them to start practicing with us? Auditions are only a few weeks away, and we could all benefit." he explained.

I smiled and nodded.

"That's a great idea, Erik! But, you don't mind having them all over?" I asked, thinking of his mother, and how protective Erik was of their privacy.

"No, I don't mind. Richard could even come and watch us," he offered.

I arched an eyebrow at that.

"Okay, who are you and what did you do with my friend?" I teased, though Erik didn't find it funny.

He sighed.

"It's been a long time since Richard… wronged me. He has apologized repeatedly, but I have never forgiven him. I wanted to hang on to the hate and anger. I've pushed others away…" he trailed off and reached for my hands.

"You have reminded me in these last few months, what it is like to have a friend. I guess I did not realize what I was missing. Holding myself back because of this," he said raising one of my hands to touch his mask.

"I'm letting my father win. I want to be a performer, Christine. I want to have friends and experience life the way you do. And I want to be a part of your life. More than just your coach, and maybe someday, more than just a friend."

Erik always had such a way with words.

"I think I'd like that too, Erik," I said, leaning forward to give him a hug.

He held on to me for a long time, and when I pulled back he tightened his arms to keep me close.

I looked at him, and his face was just inches in front of me. There was a heat in his eyes that I'd never seen before. I liked my lips unconsciously, and his eyes dropped to them.

He looked me in the eyes again, and started leaning forward. My mind was a mess. Should I let him kiss me? What about Richard? Would pulling away from Erik ruin this closeness that I'd found with him?

I was still undecided when a voice from above called down.

"Christine? Your father is here to take you home!"

Erik and I jumped apart, even though Nancy was blind and had no idea what we were doing. Or had almost done anyway.

"We'll be right up, Mom," Erik called, and looked at me uncertainly.

I smiled and pecked him on the cheek.

"I'll call you after I talk to Meg and Joey."

He nodded, and I darted up the stairs to meet Charles.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

"No, no no! You sound like a dying bird!" Erik practically yelled at Meg.

I looked over at Joey and Richard and saw that they, like me, were doing their best not to laugh. Meg was a spoiled brat, and it felt great to watch Erik put her in her place.

"I do not! I've been practicing for months, and my mother says I do it perfectly!" She shouted back, indignant.

Erik shook his head and glared at her. His eyes almost seemed to glow in the dark studio as he stared the petite ballerina down.

"You've been practicing your ballet, but you have to sing too!"

Meg crossed her arms and lifted her chin.

"I sing perfectly!"

"No, Christine sings perfectly! But even she understands the value of practicing!"

I wasn't sure what to do. Luckily, Joey saved the day.

"Richard, why don't you take Meg home? Erik, Christine and I can practice our scenes. We have a lot the Meg isn't in," He suggested.

Richard jumped right up from the sofa he'd been sitting on for the last hour.

"Sounds great, let's go," he said, pulling his car keys from his pocket.

Richard, like Meg apparently, was not at all musically inclined. Though he seemed to enjoy hearing me sing, he quickly grew bored with mechanics that rehearsing consisted of.

Joey had not been practicing his part enough either, but unlike Meg, he was grateful for Erik's help and paid close attention as the masked man went through his part with him.

Meg left without a word, but Richard stayed long enough to kiss me goodbye and invite Joey to join him at his house for a few hours of video games when we were done.

For the next three hours, Joey, Erik, and I went over every little detail for our scenes. In all the times that I had practiced with Erik he had never done much singing or acting himself, so I was rather surprised to see just how good he was.

I found that actually doing the scenes with Erik made everything very easy. He was so intense, that all I had to do was react naturally. I mean, that's pretty much all there is to Christine. Well, that and the singing.

I felt real fear when the script called for him to be intimidating, and real tears fell from my eyes at his sadness. The Phantom's story was very similar to Erik's own, and it was easy to feel compassion for him.

Joey's voice began to get scratchy, and Erik immediately called a halt to his singing anymore. Secretly, I was happy to take a little break myself, and collapsed on the sofa while Erik took Joey upstairs to get him some tea.

After giving Joey explicit instructions on how to take care of himself so that he would have full use of his voice in time for auditions, Joey left to join Raul at his house.

When Erik returned to the basement an awkward moment passed between us. We hadn't been alone together since the almost-kiss the week before.

Just as I was about to ask him if he'd like to talk about it, he spoke. "Is there a scene you'd like to rehearse?" He asked, his melodic voice made me shiver with the anticipation of acting with him and him alone.

I had been looking forward to rehearsing the very last scene that ended with a kiss, but we needed Joey for that. So I thought over everything that we had done, and remembered one song we had skipped earlier because it only included Erik and me.

"Um, Music of the Night?" I asked, trying not to blush.

He stared at me for a long time before he nodded and walked over to the cd player.

The music started and he turned to face me. His entire countenance seemed to almost ripple as he sank into the character of the Phantom.

His voice was seductive and his eyes held a promise of pleasure. I found myself wanting to be Christine with a desire that nearly stole my breath. I wanted to have this man all to myself.

I acted my part. Well, not so much acted as gave in and let him mesmerize me with his caressing voice and touches.

He pulled me up against him, and gently ran his hand down the front of me to grab my hand. I turned my face toward him wanting desperately for him to kiss me, but he continued to sing and pulled away.

I allowed myself to fall limp when it came time for Christine to faint, and he caught me with surprising grace. The music swelled as he carried me, effortlessly to the sofa we were using as the bed.

"You alone can make my song take flight. Help me make the music of the night…" he sang gently caressing my face as the note rang out through the empty room.

I counted in my head the time it would take him to walk back to his 'organ' and then opened my eyes to begin the next scene.

To my surprise, he had not walked back across the room. His face was hovering, inches from my own, and he was looking at me with such hunger I felt my entire body flush with heat.

Slowly, giving me plenty of time to push him away, he lowered his mouth to mine.

The kiss was indescribable. I thought of Richard and all of the hot, heavy kisses we'd shared with tongue and saliva. But not one of them had made me feel this way. Our lips were slightly parted, but our tongues remained in our mouths. The pressure of his lips against mine was firm, but not bruising. A great warm swelling sensation rose in my chest, and I suddenly gasped and pushed away from him.

I sprang to my feet staring in wide-eyed disbelief, one hand covering my still-tingling lips.

We stared at each other breathing hard. And then, I ran.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

It was three blocks to Richard's house, but I ran the whole way, burst through his front door leaving it open as I ran into the den where he and Joey were playing video games.

I grabbed the controller out of his hands and threw it to the floor. He opened his mouth to yell in protest, but I dived on him, covering his lips with my own.

As soon as it registered that I was kissing him like mad, he relaxed into my embrace and grabbed my hips with his hands. The kiss was just as hot and passionate as all the others that we'd shared were. I let out a moan of desire and pressed closer to him caressing his tongue with my own.

A minute later, I forcefully pulled away.

"Wow, Chrissy. Anytime you want to interrupt me to do that, please go right ahead," he teased, practically leering at me.

I shook my head, staring at him in shock.

"Nothing. It isn't there. It never was…" I muttered.

Richard frowned.

"Christine, what…?"

"I have to go," I said abruptly and ran out the door.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

I was gasping and sweating profusely when I finally made it back to Erik's cool basement.

He was in the same spot I'd left him, tears streaming down his face. The wetness has caused his mask to slip off and it lay unnoticed on the floor.

He gasped when he noticed me standing there trying to catch my breath.

And then, in the most beautiful voice I had ever heard him use, he sang, "Christine, I love… you…" holding out the 'love' and 'you' for an impossibly long time.

I hurried to him and fell to my knees so that we were eye-level, my hands coming up to hold his face.

I kissed him this time, my tongue slipping into his mouth to tease his before darting back into my own. His followed hesitantly, but even as our kiss grew in passion, there was no mistaking the feeling that it invoked from the beginning.

They say that when you fall in love, when you meet 'the one', you just know. And if you don't know, then you're not in love. A pretty concept that I had clung to for all of my childhood but had had to let go of as I reached adulthood.

Kissing Erik was like finding something I'd been searching for, for so long, that I'd forgotten I was even looking for it. And suddenly it was there. I found love.

Complete. That was the only word I could think of to describe being in his arms. I knew I'd found something that most people never do. I was so humbled, I cried.

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Epilogue

Ten Years Later…

The beauty of the Atlanta Fox Theatre mesmerized Princess Joyce as she and her younger sister, Liz, walked down the aisle toward their seats. She had been waiting for months to see 'Phantom of the Opera' on stage and could hardly believe that it was actually here.

"Here we are," Liz said and led the way down the row.

"Wow, these seats are great! How long 'til it starts?" Joyce asked, eyes darting in every direction to take it all in.

Liz looked at her watch and sighed.

"Another thirty minutes. You always insist on being extremely early to everything!" She complained.

"Not extremely…"

Liz crossed her arms and gave Joyce a superior smirk.

"What about last week when we went and saw 'Pirates of the Carribbean' at the movies? We were there for twenty minutes before the previews even started!"

"I like getting a good seat…"

"And I had to sit through all those freaking previews!"

"Hey, sometimes the previews are the best part of the movie-going experience!"

Liz huffed and opened her program, while Joyce sat back with a tiny smile believing herself to be the winner of that particular argument.

"Hey, this says that the actor who plays the Phantom and the actress that plays Christine are married in real life. Aww, they have two little kids! Look there's picture."

Joyce quickly flipped through the program and found the article. It should the Actor and Actress in costume, posing with their young son and daughter who were dressed in their Sunday best

"Aww, they are sooo cute…"

A few hours later Princess Joyce, Liz, and everyone else in the audience were on their feet clapping as loudly as they could.

Joyce turned to Liz with tears streaming down her face.

"Christine may have chosen Raul on stage, but we all know who she's going home with tonight…"

The End

A/N: Okay that's it. I hope you aren't disappointed that it stopped where it did. I had never intended for it to even be as long as it was. The epilogue is completely true, by the way, and that is what inspired me to write this. Thanks so much for reviews. I don't have plans to write another PoTO fic at this time, but I love it so much I'm sure you'll see another from me soon.

Love,

Princess Joyce


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